Military instruction is part of Colorado State University’s DNA. In 1884 (the same year the Alumni Association was established), and only 14 years after the University itself was founded, students began learning about military tactics on campus. CSU’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or ROTC, predates such iconic traditions and places as The Oval, the Painting of the A, and even CAM the Ram.
But what makes military instruction and the ROTC program in the present even more stalwart is the fact that its two leaders – Colonel Gregg Johnson (B.A., ’96) and Lieutenant Colonel Matt Tillman (B.S., ’04) – were both Ram ROTC cadets, received their commission at CSU, and are alums. That made watching Col. Johnson and Lt. Col. Tillman ring the Old Main Bell on Military Appreciation Day before the Rams took on San Diego State this past Saturday even more meaningful.
“We’re totally not worthy to be bell ringers in the same season as President Amy Parsons and Dr. Blanche Hughes,” Lt. Col. Tillman, who is CSU’s professor of military science and leads the Ram Battalion (the U.S. Army side of the ROTC), said. “We’re just the two weirdos in uniform over by the railroad tracks.”
Col. Johnson, who leads Detachment 90 (the U.S. Air Force side of the ROTC), responded with equal humility, though a bit more methodical, thoughtful, and pilot-like than Lt. Col. Tillman.
“Honor comes to mind. To represent not only alumni who have served, but all veterans, and to be in the company of all the individuals who have ever wrung it – I’m humbled and honored to be a part of it,” Col. Johnson said.
It is these complementary personalities – with Lt. Col. Tillman’s jokingly-earnest, down in the dirt “Army mentality” and Col. Johnson’s check-list, high-level “Air Force view,” – that makes the two such great counterparts who have helped raise the level, reputation, and quality of the entire ROTC program.
“It’s rare to get an alum to lead a unit and to have two is even more unusual. We’ve always wanted to maximize and seize on that opportunity,” Col. Johnson said. “We’re able to model that joint relationship to the cadets. [Lt. Col.] Matt [Tillman] has been an incredible partner, and I’m really grateful for it.”
The similarities between the two goes deeper than their alma mater – both are Colorado natives who had tough starts to their college experiences, but who eventually earned an ROTC scholarship, were on the ROTC Pushup Squad, and who rose the ranks of their respective military branches.
“After going through the rough patch, and when I changed my major to technical journalism, which fit my personality a lot better, I enjoyed every second at CSU – from Westfall Hall to watching Sonny Lubick at Hughes Stadium to feeling the electricity in C.B. & Potts on Elizabeth Street when we beat Arizona State, and being a Det. 90 cadet,” Col. Johnson said. “I embraced every moment and loved my time. It was a great environment to succeed, fail forward, and develop my leadership skills and style.”
After receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, Col. Johnson headed to pilot training in Oklahoma and was eventually assigned to fly the C-17A Globemaster III aircraft.
“I always wanted to fly since the earliest age,” he said. “When you’re a pilot, there’s this exhilaration of doing good, contributing to something, and even the timing piece of keeping up with your check list. It’s just a thrill.”
Johnson’s first mission was flying the C-17 for Operation ALLIED FORCE in Kosovo in the mid-90s, taking “people and things where they needed to be.” As a pilot, Col. Johnson had a high-level view of things, but he was also able to be on the ground and see the impact of missions up-close-and-personal.
“I was invited to go to a refugee camp in Kosovo, and that really shaped what I was doing in a new light and lens,” he said. “That was another important development piece for me.”
When the War on Terrorism began, Col. Johnson saw his missions in a different kind of lens – being one of the first to fly the C-17 using night-vision goggles. He also flew the first-ever C-17 combat landing on an unimproved dirt landing strip that was the deepest combat insertion of Marine combat forces into Afghanistan, as well as dropping humanitarian supplies to civilians in Afghanistan.
“It’s been an incredible experience flying the C-17 over six continents and 58 countries, and I was fortunate to be a squadron and group commander,” he said. “All encompassing of those experiences are the relationships and connections to people I’ve made.”
Throughout his illustrious career, Johnson has received such accolades as the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Flying Cross – the decoration that means the most to him.
“I am extremely proud of that because of the effort our aircrew and support team provided to execute the mission involved,” he explained.
When it came time to lead Detachment 90 at CSU, Johnson said he and his family were thrilled to “come home” to Colorado and CSU.
“It’s been pretty surreal sitting in the office I used to be in as a cadet. I walk up the stairs or down the hallways every day and there’s a memory that comes back,” he added.
As a leader, Col. Johnson explained he works to instill in the cadets a sense of comradery with the Army ROTC side, highlight the support of the active-duty cadre that helps guide cadets, and his unofficial motto of making connections and building relationships.
“I always tell the cadets to be curious. Not just in the world, but in the people you work with and will eventually lead,” he said. “Culture always wins, and I’m grateful for the culture we have here. The conditions for success are right at CSU.”
Col. Johnson will retire next summer and though it can be a bit bittersweet to know his time in the military will soon come to an end, he expresses that sense of honor in what he’s been able to accomplish with cadets and the ROTC program alongside Lt. Col. Tillman.
“I wouldn’t change anything. It’s been fantastic. I’m going to miss seeing the cadets, watching them grow, and I still get the feels when they raise their hands during the commissioning ceremonies. But, ultimately, [Lt. Col.] Matt [Tillman] and I can go home at the end of the day and our careers and say, ‘we did a good job,’” he concluded.
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When you join the Colorado State University Alumni Association, you become part of something bigger – a global community of green and gold that keeps alumni connected to the University and each other. Annual Members Col. Johnson and Lt. Col. Matt Tillman are making an impact on current students and future Rams through their volunteerism and donations; providing support for alumni programming, outreach, and nationwide engagement; and preserving time-honored traditions that bind us together as Rams. You can make a difference too, and gain access to benefits such as exclusive invites, bookstore savings, career services, and more. Become a member today!
